1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a keyboard and an electronic apparatus.
2. Background Art
Information processing apparatuses such as personal computers now have built-in speakers and can output sound. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 8-76885, for example, discloses a speaker fitting structure of an information processing apparatus in which a speaker is fitted to a keyboard. In this prior art technology, a track ball is disposed along a keyboard and a speaker is held by a processing substrate of the track ball by a speaker-holding member inclusive of screws. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 9-81271 discloses a portable electronic apparatus in which a speaker is fitted to a keyboard. In this prior art technology, the speaker is disposed in a region above an arrangement region of the keys and is removably fitted from above using speaker-fitting screws.
When a speaker is arranged in an information processing apparatus or in a keyboard, the speaker is generally disposed inside a case at a position where the case is relatively less flexible. Alternatively, the structure of the region in which the speaker is held is reinforced in many cases so that the speaker is less affected by the flexure of the case.
As the thickness and the size of the information processing apparatus or the keyboard have been reduced, however, the position at which the speaker can be disposed has become strictly limited. It has become also difficult to arrange the speaker at a position of the case free from flexure, or to reinforce the structure of the region where the speaker is arranged. Reduction of the thickness and the size of the speaker itself, to be assembled into the information processing apparatus or in the keyboard, has been required with the result that the speaker output is restricted.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a keyboard allowing a speaker to be arranged at a position of a case at which flexure may occur and capable of improving a speaker output, and an electronic apparatus.
A keyboard according to the present invention comprises a plurality of keys, a case including a palm rest portion, and a speaker encompassed by an elastic member and held by the elastic member in a region below the palm rest portion.
In this construction, the elastic member encompasses and fits the speaker to the case, and therefore, even when the case is likely to undergo flexure, the speaker is held without being affected by flexure of the case. The palm rest portion of the keyboard is the portion where a user places the palm when touching the keys, and is likely to downwardly flex due to the weight of the hand. When the palm rest portion downwardly flexes, the palm rest portion presses the elastic member encompassing the speaker and the speaker reaches the state where it is strongly fixed to the case, thereby reducing the gap between the palm rest portion and the speaker. As a result, the palm rest portion serves as a separating plate that separates the front portion and the rear portion of the speaker from each other, and directivity and output of the speaker can be improved. In consequence, the thickness and size of both keyboard and speaker can be reduced.
Preferably, the elastic member includes an annular portion encompassing an outer peripheral portion of the speaker, a bottom portion at least partially covering the bottom portion of the speaker and an upper portion at least partially covering a peripheral portion of an upper portion of the speaker.
Preferably, the bottom portion of the elastic member has an engagement portion to be anchored to the keyboard.
Preferably, the keyboard has a groove for receiving the engagement portion.
Preferably, the elastic member is made of a rubber.
Preferably, the keyboard includes a lower cover, an electronic component mounted to the lower cover and an upper cover at least partially covering the lower cover, wherein the speaker is mounted to the lower cover in such a fashion as to emit sound towards the upper cover, and the upper cover has holes above the speakers for emitting upwards the sound.
Preferably, at least the palm rest portion of the upper cover is made of a flexible material, and the palm rest portion flexes due to the weight of a user""s hand when the user places the palm thereon, reducing thereby the gap between the palm rest portion of the upper cover and the speaker to improve the directivity of the speakers.
The present invention provides also an electronic apparatus having the features described above. In other words, the electronic apparatus according to the present invention comprises a case having a palm rest portion, and a speaker encompassed by an elastic member and held by the elastic member in a region below the palm rest portion.
Preferably, the electronic apparatus comprises a portable type information processing apparatus.